Author: Jake Tucker

Categories
The Hot List

Goon Tape: non-slip grip that’s cool as f**k

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if grip tape was something that I needed until I taped up the grip and sidearm of, well, everything I owned.

You could get grip tape from just about anyone, but Goon Tape’s (stylised GØØN Tape) cracking aesthetic — and a wolf grey colourway on the tape — encouraged me to try their Raid Tape, and from the friendly note to the quality product, I was immediately won over.

Pictures provided by Goon Tape, taken by David Trieu

How do you make grip tape cool?

Running a rapidly growing business is often only as easy as the team you’ve got behind you. When talking to Adam — Totts to his friends — the brand’s founder and social media manager, he’s keen to shout out the people that help Goon Tape run smoothly, whether that’s the top-notch Raid Tape or the brand’s red-hot Instagram.

Most of the brand’s photography is done by David Trieu, and Adam is also helped out by Cathy, Ron, Tolga and Zach who all help run a business that’s rapidly expanding.

” They all help keep us running on all cylinders behind the scenes,” says Adam. “Without them none of this would be possible.”

Goon tape has its roots in real firearms, like so many essential bits of airsoft kit.

“Goon Tape was founded because we were looking for a moisture-wicking grip solution that would also protect our hands from the excessive heat generated by the barrels of our carbines (especially the Kalashnikov variants),” adds Adam. “We wanted something very soft, durable, and affordable that didn’t require specially cut grip pieces for each firearm or component we wanted to cover. After testing many different materials and dimensions, we finally decided on a solution that satisfied our requirements, and we launched our brand in early Fall of last year.”

People ate it up. I’ve personally coated my Scorpion Evo, HK 416 and MP5 in tape and while I don’t have to worry about excessive heat or recoil, the look is cool and if something is going to get covered in crap, I’d prefer it to be the tape.

“GØØN Tape’s main goal is providing our customers and social media followers with the highest quality products, and customer experience,” Adam says. “Many of our guys and gals rely on their firearms and equipment to get them home safely, so we take that responsibility very seriously. That’s also a big reason why we have our tape made here in the States and not in some random factory overseas where it would be much cheaper.”

This Made in America sensibility is a point of pride for the company, and with tape this good, it’s hard to argue. While airsofters don’t have to trust their life with their gear, the thousands of airsofters that have spent money on Crye combat uniforms and gucci plate carriers shows that we want something durable, and in this case we can take advantage of the enhanced needs that real firearms owners have.

On the field

Adam’s main interest in Airsoft is as a training tool to sit alongside his real firearms experience.

This doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a past putting BBs on target. “My hometown neighbourhood was constantly engaged with after-school and weekend airsoft battles in the local woods, and though that was more friendly than competitive, it definitely influenced me a lot growing up,” says Adam. “My loadout was pretty simple: an electric Tokyo Marui M4 carbine with iron sights and a metal, green-gas powered 1911, also from Tokyo Marui.

Adam laughs. “It definitely wasn’t the most “Gucci’ setup but to me it was so epic!”

He hasn’t played Airsoft in a while he admits he’s thinking about it as a training aid now, especially with the cost of ammunition over in the US.

Next up

When it comes to products, next from Goon Tape is more colours throughout the year, in addition to more Goon Tape Solutions and even apparel.

One of the key parts of Goon Tape’s business model is to empower people to protect themselves and take responsibility for their own safety.

With this in mind, Adam adds: We are also looking to organize some virtual seminars featuring various personal protection experts, that would give our followers a crash course in a variety of important tactical skills and concepts.

This is especially useful for the personnel that are likely to be in real-world scenarios, but for airsofters, it could be an opportunity to get more familiar with principles they might be able to use to squeeze a win out of a tough skirmish.

“We are incredibly excited for what we’ve got planned for y’all this year, and can’t stress enough how thankful we are for all the support we have received over the past few months.” says Adam, adding “Shoutout to Mom and Dad too – Sup guys!”

You can buy Raid Tape from the Goon Tape website. We personally recommend the combo pack which also comes with two different colours and a handy pair of medical scissors.

Categories
The Site List

The Site List: Tower Airsoft

Like Airsoft Plantation? One of the best-established sites in Essex, Airsoft Plantation has recently taken over Tower Airsoft, a former Delta Force Paintball Site that shares a boundary with Airsoft Plantation itself.

As a result, what you have here is a new site that’s taking advantage of the extensive experience team AP has, but with a site and game modes that push players towards direct competition.

Why am I like this?

At a glance

  • Website: https://towerairsoft.co.uk/
  • Address: Tower Airsoft, Heath Road, Billericay, Essex, CM11 1HL
  • Price: £25 for a walk on, £55 for a rental
  • Rental gear: AK74’s or Combat Machine M4’s, a bottle of BBs and face protection
  • Lunch: Catering van that does a selection of food for breakfast and lunch, cold drinks, ice poles, even hot doughnuts in the afternoon.
  • Frequency: First three Saturdays of the month. Special events may change this.
  • How to book: Text one of the owners. Numbers on https://towerairsoft.co.uk/
  • Toilets: Full toilets in a proper block. Fancy, huh?
  • Car Park: Grass covered, lots of free space. Small walk to the safe zone.
  • Safe zone: Big safe zone with partial covering.
  • Shop: Limited store with basic tactical gear, BBs and Pyro.
  • Card accepted: No, PayPal accepted in an emergency.
BadNade pal Ced Yuen, holding down the village with a GPMG and… some leaves we found

What to Expect

Constant attack and defence missions that see one team with unlimited respawns and a series of objectives to attack, and one team with a handful of respawns trying to defend them.

As a site, Tower Airsoft runs from end to end with 5 points of interest along the way: the Bridge, the Tanks, the Village, the Castle and the Church and you’ll often attack through that collection of points in one direction or the next. The ground here is hard and uneven, littered with debris that’ll put you on your butt.

Because you’re always fighting against the clock on the attack, there’s always pressure to keep moving forwards. However, because the respawn is from two marshalls who are trawling behind the fight at the pace of the slowest player. The hard part is this sometimes means snipers are holding back the flow of the respawn, but that then becomes a social problem rather than a mechanical one.

Breaks are fairly well-spaced, with 10-15 minute breaks between each 60-90 minute game. These breaks are kept fairly tight, so there’s space to bomb up and take on some water before you’re stepping off back to your next game.

Marshalling is good — but I must confess bias as I’m in a team with the head marshalls at the site, something which happened after I met them playing here — and it’s clear that everyone at Tower knows how to put on a good game.

I say this, because if i’m honest Tower Airsoft still has a little way to go, in terms of the site and how to get the best out of it, and I want to ensure people continue to play there and give it a chance as it shakes out.

At the moment brambles stretch six feet up in places, making movement through them difficult. The floors of several huts in the Village area seem ready to collapse, and there’s a big lack of workable cover. More seriously, The Village feels like an unviable point, easy to collapse with a 360-degree attack. In the short term, the best thing they can do would be to bring in a gardener and open up a couple of paths.

I’ll keep playing at Tower, but it’s still clear that the site was abandoned for a year — and then left during another lockdown — and it’s going to need a bit of time until we get games there that aren’t “push forwards and sometimes carry things”.

Have faith though, Tower has some memorable areas: attacking the Castle and Church are both phenomenal, with some verticality that’s rare in airsoft. As you can see from the push on the Castle from a recent game day at Tower, it offers something that’s a little rarer in Essex, at least. It’s just a bit of gardening and a few strategically placed barrels away from nailing it, at which point I’ll probably wriggle back in here and give you an update.

Tower by name, tower by nature

What to bring

Grab some boots. This is good advice at any airsoft site but it’s rare that I play somewhere where everything seems desperate to kill me, with trip hazards as common as RIFs for most games.

Pyro is a hard no at Tower Airsoft, at least for the moment. Smoke grenades are good to go, and yellow smoke is gas. If you’re not wearing a gas mask with a proper filter that’ll kill you as sure as a BB.

Pyro is a hard no at Tower Airsoft, at least for the moment. Smoke grenades are good to go

Tower currently has a lot of open spaces and some powerful bolt holes to shoot from. A support weapon or DMR will do a lot of work in skilled hands.

Otherwise, the engagement distances tend to be around 30m and up, so anything with decent accuracy will pay dividends.

Categories
Gear

Want to buy BadNade patches and slaps? Here’s how

Spring is here and, with it, UK airsofters are heading back out onto the field. Whether you like the site — thanks — you want to support the work we do — double thanks — or you just think our logo looks cool — which it does, but thanks — this is a perfect opportunity to slap on a BadNade patch or stick one of our slaps on your gunbox.

Let’s be straightforward so you’re not wasting your time: Patches are £7, stickers are £2 but you can get both delivered to your door or handed off at a site for £8. Bargain, right?

How to buy – Instagram edition

This one is simple, if you have an Instagram account, get hold of us at @BadNadeJake or @BadNadeAirsoft and we’ll handle payment and get your stuff posted out as soon as possible.

The patches are good quality (and people are always pretty happy with them) raised PVC with good quality velcro on the back. The stickers are big and bright.

How to buy — straight up PayPal edition

Go to Paypal.me/Jake, send me cash, include your address. I’ll email you a confirmation as soon as I’ve seen the payment, and get it posted out as soon as possible.

Categories
Gear RIFs The Arsenal

Why I love: TM HK416D NGRS

I’ve wanted an HK416 ever since I first played Battlefield Bad Company, but some things just aren’t meant to be.

For the longest time, I wanted a top-of-the-line AEG. In my opinion, the best brand for when you want performance without compromise is a Tokyo Marui (unless you’re springing for a Systema), but I had doubts about the whole recoil thing.

Anyway, with a little help / convincing from Jon at Wolf Armouries, I’m glad I came around. The HK416 started started out as a problem gun for me, and needed a few visits to several techs before I finally worked out what the problem was: the bolt-stop feature wasn’t working.

Still, now that is fixed — I just use hi-cap magazines so I don’t have to worry about the bolt stop — there’s a lot to love about the gun. With the internal upgrades, the performance at a variety of ranges is sweet. Externally, the quality is high and I adore the HK branding and the fact that it feels sturdy, even if it means the metal quad rail is quite weighty, and it’s a gun I love using both in the field and up close as i’m kicking doors.

What’s the deal with the TM HK416D NGRS?

Photos taken by Ced Yeun unless otherwise credited.

Since the dawn of airsoft, Tokyo Marui has been the brand to go for when it comes to reliability, performance and quality. Other AEGs can come close, but no manufacturer has the weighty expectation of just working quite like TM does.

The NGRS has a few issues – being a pig to work on and a pain to get replacement parts for are the most egregious – but generally, the NGRS models are solid, shoot well and with their recoil and bolt stop they’re pretty fun to use, too.

The bolt stop feature basically works as a real steel model, meaning that when your magazine drains it stops firing, and after reloading, you’ll need to tap the bolt stop on the side of the gun to make it fire again. Honestly, I can take or leave both.

I play airsoft to be as competitive as possible and I want a RIF that can land shots at mid-range with a snappy trigger response. The 416 can do that. I’ve upgraded mine (more below) but even out of the box, it’ll perform.

One negative: TM’s NRGS range all use custom mags and proprietary batteries. You can get a conversion and put a LiPo battery in the stock of most models, but you’re pretty much stuck with the mags. This is bad news if, like me, you have a range of different STANAGS filling your kit box. Now I have two different sets of 5.56 STANAGS in my kit box. I’m happy enough with this, but if you hate clutter, this is a consideration you’ll need to make.

There’s a bunch of different HK416 models available in TM’s NGRS line, so I’m just going to bunch them all together. If you’re convinced by this and fancy getting your hands on one, be aware that some of them have different handguards, stocks or fittings. My version is just the vanilla HK416.

What did I upgrade on the TM HK416D NGRS?

My HK416 has had extensive work done to it.

Firstly, internally I had a TITAN fitted. That was it initially, but having seen what other people’s NGRS RIFs were doing after some Camoraids tech, I decided to take a chance and got the Camoraids Stage 2 upgrade which includes the below. Camo’s upgrades are fairly pricey, but I’ve been really happy with the quality of the workmanship and the performance of my gun. Enough so that if I get another TM NGRS, I’ll probably buy it from Camoraids and get the upgrades done at point of purchase.

Externally, I use my Vortex StrikeForce II or Vortex Crossfire II, depending on engagement distance. I haven’t done much to it otherwise: I’ve removed the small piece of extendable outer barrel that TM ships with the gun and have otherwise left it untouched. However, I am keen to add a decent angled foregrip, as the 416’s full metal construction is weighty and the quad rail isn’t the best surface to grip at.

Photo taken by on-site photographers at Sentinel Airsoft.

Why I love my TM HK416D NGRS

No, I don’t know what i’m doing with my little finger either.

Finally to the meat of it. Every airsoft gun is different, so it’s tough to tell you prescriptively why a gun is so good. Just know that it is subjective to me, and while I’d happily let you have a play with my RIF if you catch me at a game, you’ll know what works for you.

Still, this HK416 sure does perform. I’ve outlined the CAMO upgrade above. What I’m most excited for is the accuracy out to around 40m. With any out of the box AEG, fighting at 40m means aiming for a man-sized target and hoping to hit with accurate bursts.

With the upgrade, I can hit someone’s exposed arm without too much trouble. This pushes me realistic engagement range up and means this is the gun in my arsenal I reach for at nearly every game.

Let’s talk a little bit about, well, buying one of the most expensive RIFs on the market and then taking out all of the internals and replacing them with upgrades that cost nearly as much as the gun itself. I was leery about doing this before, as said, but I’m so happy with the result I’m considering getting a second one, maybe TM’s new URG-I, or a classic M4A1.

The Good

  • Solid construction.
  • Open to a range of upgrades.
  • Adjustable stock and shorter length mean you can run this anywhere.
  • Full HK trades, and beautiful detailing.

The Bad

  • Proprietary battery means you’ll have to get a conversion to use.
  • Proprietary magazines. This is unavoidable, and can be pricey.

Categories
Gear The Hot List

Afraid of the Dark is an airsoft brand you can wear without looking like a dork

In the world of Airsofting over the last few years, something strange has been happening. We’ve seen the world of fashion around airsoft grow up and, well, everyone is into night vision goggles now.

In the process, brands that are around airsoft (several veteran-owned clothing companies also have a big presence on the skirmish field) have made the jump from cringe-inducing “MP5 silhouette on a t-shirt” to a few brands that you wouldn’t feel weird wearing out to the shops, or to the pub — remember pubs?

One of the companies that really nails “fashionable stuff I don’t feel like a dork wearing” is Afraid of the Dark, who bring a streetwear style (and a whole heap of NODS) for those who want something a little different. 

As someone who skirmishes regularly in a t-shirt, they won me over almost immediately with their black tee with pink neon logo, which is comfortable, looks the business, and doesn’t make you stand out when you’re hiding out in a bush. 

Airsoft x Streetwear

Photo provided by Afraid of the Dark

Where Afraid of the Dark nails it is the brand’s aesthetic. AOTD founder Nathan delivers some top notch visuals and some pretty suave clothing. 

“The most important thing for AOTD as a business is that all our customers remain happy every time they purchase from us,” says Nathan. “As a one man business, it’s hard to keep up with the demand. 99% of our customers are so understanding and accept that delays happen. The drawback of being a one man op is that I take the negative emails / messages so personally, but always respond as professionally as possible!” 

This desire to be as good as they can be underpins a lot of what makes AOTD so special. Another is the elements that AOTD has learnt from street wear: the art of a good merch drop, with limited edition items coming out at a certain time. The tempo on these drops is high, meaning there’s always something new you want to buy for your collection.

The company only came into existence last year, and Nathan attributes a lot of the success to buy in from the Airsoft community: “As cheesy as it sounds, the community is what I love. AOTD wouldn’t have blown up as fast as it has without the backing and approval from the community. The big companies hate me because we are the same, but different. I’ve got a passion for content and always strive to enhance my own skill set as a designer and as a business owner.” 

Next up

The author, wearing AOTD at a Milsim at Imperium Airsoft

AOTD’s next big step is the 2021 spring range. “I’d love to release a date for when that’s dropping but at the moment I’m more concerned with getting everyone’s current orders printed and posted,” says Nathan. “So far the range is shaping up to be our biggest ever drop featuring; windbreakers, tees, hoodies, baseball caps, loads new slaps, patches and a coffee table book.”

As the winter range moved from the neon soaked colours of the original range into a more muted Geronimo look, it was clear that AOTD has a few tricks up their sleeve as a business. You can see new products as they launch on AOTD’s Instagram. 

On the field

Photo provided by Afraid of the Dark

AOTD keeps Nathan busy and he’s not on the field as much as he’d like, and says he gets a skirmish in “Maybe every few months just to get a social in with some pals.” He’s a Milsim fan, admitting: “Milsim is where my head is at, and will probably stay that way until I decide I’m too old to play dress up.”

He uses a  HK416 Devgru variant, a Glock 17 and then various bits of kit. Most of the time you’ll see him playing at Worthing Airsoft, although he also co-runs Defiant Events, a Milsim outfit. 

Want 10 percent off? 

This is the real deal. BadNade readers can get 10 percent off any orders by entering the code BADNADE10. Get in touch and let us know what you buy, we’d love to see it. 

Categories
The Site List

The Site List: Imperium Airsoft

New sites are opening constantly around the UK, and while you may not have heard of Imperium Airsoft yet, the Faversham-based site has something many well-established sites don’t: the ability to dick around in vehicles. 

That, or get chased by angry airsofters firing from the back of them as they move towards you. 

All images used courtesy of Imperium Airsoft. Photographs used were taken by Darwin of Atdarzairsoft.

At a glance

  • Website: https://imperiumairsoft.com/
  • Address: IMPERIUM AIRSOFT SITE ‘Battlegrounds’ Uplees Road Oare, Kent ME13 0QR
  • Price: £35 for a walk on. Milsim and battlesim events vary. 
  • Rental gear: AEG Rifle M4 / AK, 2 x High Capacity Mags, 5000 BBs for £75
  • Lunch: Domino’s Pizza is available for £5. Biltong is on sale and recommended.  
  • Frequency: Sunday every two weeks, running in tandem with Invicta Airsoft. 
  • How to book: https://imperiumairsoft.com/packages/
  • Toilets: Full toilets located in big blue block. Urinals too. 
  • Car Park: Grass covered, lots of free space
  • Safe zone: From cars.
  • Shop: Platoon Stores runs the on-site store, click and collect possible.
  • Card accepted: Yes
Skirmishes here can be fast and frenzied, brawling over the smallest bit of land.

What to Expect

What to expect from Imperium Airsoft is wildly different depending on the day you attend. 

Regardless of whether you’re playing a full milsim or a more casual skirmish day, you should expect vehicles to be in play. This adds something fairly unique, and they’re used either as a way to break a stalemate and push forwards, for defence or even just for getting you to and from the safezone when you’re feeling a bit tired at the end of a match. The vehicles are the biggest “addition” to Imperium Airsoft compared to many sites, but the biggest plus point for the site is that they just do the basics really well. 

Get lucky and a truck will take you to and from the skirmish from the safe zone.

This means that Chronoing is really efficient, the crowd is solid, the games are well-run and well marshalled, and the site has a lot of interesting areas to fight over. 

Also, while we’re bigging them up, head marshall Ginge (who sold me a King Arms P90 ten years ago at a cracking price, so I’m already biased towards) delivers the best safety brief in the business. A welcome change to the butt-numbers you get at many sites. It’s important, because we need to not lose an eye, but that doesn’t mean safety can’t be fun.

Crucial thing: Imperium reserves the right to stop you filming on the site or from using their photos without credit. This is reasonable because their content is top notch (and their on-site photography gets great snaps and effortlessly manages to stay out the way of moving players, so he’s worth his weight in gold.) and their argument is that it’s them that should be making money from content shot during their game days.

It can get a little muddy.

What to bring

Let’s start with some big stuff: Box mags are banned at Imperium on non-support weapons, and the FPS limits are a bit weird, so take a look.

Got a DMR? You’ll want it here. While areas like the sand FOB (pictured above, behind my muddy self) and the surrounding hills can facilitate close-quarters play, a regular AEG feels short-ranged on some of the longer approaches.

A full bolt-action wouldn’t be out of the question, if you’re good with it. Several of Imperium’s regulars are roaming the grounds with ghillie suits and rifles, so there’s plenty of potential rivals just waiting for you to meet them.

DMR FPS limit is 420 FPS on a .2 at Imperium

If you’re going to run an AEG, smoke grenades aren’t a bad shout (show them to the site to make sure their insurance covers them, as you would anywhere.) 

The ground is hard work, so consider clothes that don’t snag, a decent pair of boots and maybe some waterproof socks in case you have to ford some of the shallow water on the site wouldn’t go amiss. The longer games require you to manage your own food.

Categories
Gear RIFs The Arsenal

The Arsenal: G+P MAGPUL M4 CQB MOE

It’s getting harder and harder to get hold of G+P M4s, but Airsofters that have been slinging plastic for a while will know the brand for their top-notch AR-platform guns, whether that’s a ‘Nam-era M16 or one of a variety of M4s.

This G+P MAGPUL M4 CQB MOE is unfortunately named, but is a fantastic blaster, becoming my go-to primary over both a Krytac Rec7 and a TM Recoil.

Why buy a G+P M4?

All photos taken at Airsoft Plantation (by Ced Yuen) unless specified

I’ve broadened this out a bit because there are really two questions here: why buy a G+P M4 and why buy my specific G+P Magpul MOE M4. I’ll try to answer both.

If you can find one, I still think G+P offer up the best M4 in the 200-300 pound price bracket, with the only glaring omission being the lack of a Mosfet. The externals are solid, the gun is accurate and has decent range and accuracy out of the box.

The gun is 680mm long with the stock tucked in, and 770 at full extension, making it easy to hurl around in close quarters This means I tend to use it as my go-to for mid-range engagements, and it’s a capable backup for both bigger field games (like Imperium Airsoft) or in close quarters (like at Sentinel)

It has a few issues: the fire selector quickly got a little wobbly, and you can still pull the trigger while it’s on safe. It won’t fire, but you can work the trigger no problems, which is bizarre.

What should you change?

This snap was taken by Sentinel Airsoft at The Outpost.

I’ve had a little work done to the G+P. The only internal change was the addition of a Gate Titan, locking the gun to a three-round burst and semi-automatic. This makes firing the gun feel snappy and satisfying, and

I also ditched the MOE handguard, replacing the front-end with a G+P Troy front-end, which is good for mounting flashlights / cameras / whatever you need to the front end, although it does make it look like some sort of mongrel gun.

I’ve fiddled around with attachments. At this point I think I’m sold on the Nuprol Folding vertical grip. It’s almost a fashion choice, as I tend to just grab my magwell because it’s an AEG without recoil. However, it makes it much more pointable

For optics, I’ve got a Vortex Strikefire II, which looks the part and performs impressively. I like the mount, I like how easy it is to adjust, but I really really like the speed at which I can acquire targets and sling plastic at them.

For the future, I’ve been thinking about putting a tightbore barrel in and flat-hopping the G+P to try and get a little more range out of it, but I’ve been using it in this exact set-up for the past year and haven’t had a problem with it.

The Good

  • G+P’s externals are top-notch.
  • Mag compability with the G+P is solid. Most Stanags will work, I’ve only found a few that won’t work.
  • Perfect size for CQB and mid-range engagements.
  • Magpul MOE stock feels nice against the shoulder, with easy access to the battery compartment.

The Bad

  • Build quality is lacking. Fire selector is loose, entire gun has a little bit of a wobble to it.
  • G+P guns don’t come with a Mosfet as standard and you will need one as the trigger contacts are ropey.
  • You would have to look hard to find a more generic M4.

Why I love it

Personal preference, ergonomics and even anecdotal evidence all play massively into how much you’ll dig a gun. I’ve said that before, and I’ll say it again.

As a result, it shouldn’t be a surprise when I say that I mostly love the M4 because I’ve dominated using it in a few games.

The G+P M4, with the TITAN mosfet fitted, doesn’t have the longest range or a ridiculous rate of fire, but it is consistent. That consistency means I can make shots and rely on the gun, which means I have more confidence with it than some of the weapons I regularly play with.

Some airsofters will sniff at M4s, and I admit I am a man with a stack of AR-platform guns stacked up in his cupboard, but if you’re going to use an M4, you can do a lot worse than a G+P.

You can get one for £284.99 from Wolf Armouries, but budget in a bit extra for getting a TITAN fitted, too.

Categories
Game footage

Gameplay footage: Ultimate Airsoft, Bunker 51

Footage from a short and brutal skirmish at Ultimate Airsoft’s Bunker 51, taken just before London slid back into Tier 2 lockdown. We played on October 13th. We’ve covered Bunker 51 for our site list, but this shows just how fast and frantic it can get.

It’s also my first time editing a video, so please excuse the fact it’s a little bit pants. Making video (and not sucking at it) is really a part of the whole “making an airsoft website” sitch, and I’m keen to improve. Stick around for the last couple of minutes, when it gets really ridiculous.

I’m running an ASG Scorpion Evo 3 for the game, with a TM MK23 SOCOM on my belt.

Categories
The Site List

The site list: KGB Airsoft

KGB Airsoft was my first site, and the most noticeable thing is how cohesive the teamplay is compared to most sites around the UK. Low numbers, a regular player base and staff often player-marshalling from command roles means that your team always switched on and sticking to a big plan.

At a glance

  • Website: https://www.facebook.com/KGBAirsoft
  • Address: Porkellis, Helston TR13 0JU
  • Price: £20 for a full-day walk on, membership reduces this.
  • Rental gear: Guns and full-face protection can be provided, but need pre-booking
  • Lunch: No food available on site. This site doesn’t take a break.
  • Frequency: Sunday every two weeks.
  • How to book: https://www.facebook.com/KGBAirsoft
  • Toilets: None located on-site.
  • Car Park: Grass covered, lots of free space
  • Safe zone: From cars.
  • Shop: No
  • Card accepted: Yes, through Paypal. No card machine on site.
Swampy ground is part of KGB, watch your step

What to Expect

The key thing to bear in mind is that KGB Airsoft doesn’t stop for the day once they kick-off. There are no breaks to bomb up, no lunch break, and no chance to amble back to the car to have a chinwag.

As a result, the most important thing is that players arrive on time. Show up at 9:15, get geared up, and the safety brief and first game of the day starts at 10 with a quick warm-up to make sure everyone’s gear is behaving. After that, there are a series of games or one long game that takes you a long way from the safe zone and into the woods itself. There’s a mix of open space and dank woodlands, but most of the time the best cover at this site is concealment.

This focus on concealment means sneakier players will have an easier time, and most of the site’s regulars can be terrifying, vanishing into the site and only striking once you’ve moved past them. Regularly, games will include long sections of patrolling broken up by enemy ambush.

If this all sounds a bit like hard work, it is. KGB Airsoft can often feel less like a fun day shooting your mates and more like a training exercise, bringing your skills up and making sure you’re proficient. As a starting-out site, this was great for teaching me controlled aggression and keeping my eyes open. Even if you’re a more casual player, if you’re looking to improve, I’d recommend giving this place a visit.

Generally, the end of the day will have some up-close matches to let off some steam and get bragging rights. Although this would typically mark the point at which to grab a stack of hi-caps from the car, actually prolonged engagements here are fairly rare, with many firefights ending decisively after a few seconds.

If you’re only engaging targets you can see, you can probably get through a day at KGB with 4-5 mid-cap mags and a smoke grenade.

Concealment is absolutely key if you don’t want a sniper round to the noggin

What to bring

Remember how I said the best cover at KGB was concealment? That means you need to put a little more thought into your loadout. While most sites you can get away with whatever, here you’ll be easy pickings for the other players if you’re trotting about in your PMC outfit. The order of the day here is green camouflage or drab colours. Flecktarn was something I swore by whenever I played the site, but you can get as Gucci as you want.

Chatting to the staff at KGB, their number one tip is gear preparation: bring water and snacks with you and put them in your rig. You’ll be fighting foliage and if rain kicks in play won’t stop, so make sure to pack appropriately. With no stops, it’s on you to make sure you’ve got a Snickers to hand.

Don’t forget about boots, either. The ground here is treacherous.

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The Site List

The site list: Bunker 51 — Ultimate Airsoft

Short games that are run hard, Bunker 51 is a claustrophobic lesson of everything you need to know about airsoft, but you’ll come away with the marks to show for it.

At a glance

  • Website: https://www.ultimateairsoft.co.uk/
  • Address: 3 Herringham Rd, Greenwich Peninsula, London SE7 8NJ
  • Price: £35 for a three-hour walk on game
  • Rental gear: £45, there’s an M4
  • Lunch: Three-hour session so there’s no time for food
  • Frequency: Every Sunday, private games are bookable.
  • How to book: https://www.ultimateairsoft.co.uk/
  • Toilets: Indoor toilets.
  • Car Park: Very limited parking at venue.
  • Safe zone: Inside with tables.
  • Shop: N/A
  • Card accepted: yes
  • FPS limit: 328 with variance (up to 350)

What to expect

Pure carnage. There are two different game days run at this site, one by Camden-based airsoft shop Wolf Armouries, and some by Ultimate Airsoft, which comprises of a few of the team that were behind the ill-fated Blitz CQB airsoft site in Whitechapel.

This mostly talks about the Ultimate Airsoft experience, although the site is the same for both guys. The marshall team at the UA games is solid, and they run some exciting games. As you can see from the video below, it’s dark, while engagements are often taking place as people scuttle from cover to cover, well inside 10 metres.

I’ve played here less than I’d like to, it’s the closest site to me geographically but three hours doesn’t usually scratch my itch. However, I’ve noticed the games are fierce, and fighting is claustrophobic. The quality of players is a little hit and miss, with rentals and new players coming to try out their first ever site.

This can result in attacks being a little sluggish. Considering both of the two “fields” in play are L shaped and lead through a fatal funnel into defenders with heavy cover, it can be a frustrating experience. However, with low numbers and not a lot of ground to cover, a single player can easily make a huge difference and have their hero moment.

Important: the site is also an indoors paintball site, meaning your camo and gear will get covered in gunk, and things get even worse when you try to clean your guns after a game in there because that gunk gets into everything.

Thanks to ShieldBangOut for this video.

What to bring

What’s the shortest thing you’ve got? You’re not looking at anything rangy here, rather something you can move with at speed. The order of the day is to push into enemy positions and root them out, or resist them doing the same to you. I’ve had success here for a P90, UMP and even an MP5, but anything longer than that seems unnecessary, so let your short guns have their moment.

As one of the smallest sites I’ve ever played, engagement distances are arms-length. Consider full-seal eye protection, gloves, and lower face protection. Even if you consider that overkill at most sites, you’ll be glad to have it here.

Also, target identification can be tricky with the darkness, so you’ll want a torch.